Sign and indicator.



P. H0010. 'SIGN AND mD'IoAToR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12,1912.

Patented Jan. 7. 1913.

Jmml INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITH E8358 about to turn.

which is therefore not liable to easily get .along the line 55 of Fig.2,and Fig. 6 is a "such as that shown at 2, which are arranged UNITED.STATES "PATENT oFF oE.

PASQUALE F co o, OFITAMPA, FLQRIDA, AssIGivoR or ONE-H'ALF To vALENrIN'oFICGIO, or TAMPA, FLORIDA. v

SIGN AND INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, PASQUALE FIooIo, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Tampa, in the county of Hillsboro, in the State ofFlorida, have made certain new and. useful Improvements in Signs andIndicators, of'which the following is a specification. 3 g

My'inv'ention relates to improvements in. signs or indicators,especially those adapted to be carried -'atthe rear of automobiles toindicate the direction in which the vehicle is An object of my inventionis to provide a sign of light weight, wh.ichmay be operated mechanicallyto project into view a slide bearing a legend or word showingthe'direction in which the vehicle is about to proceed.

A further object of my invention is to. provide a device of thecharacter described consisting of comparatively few parts, and

out of order.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificationand the novel features of the invention will-be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.-

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis ap plicationin which Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe device,Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device, Fig. 3'is atransverse section Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line H of Fig.2,*Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view diagrammatic view showing thearrangement of the circuits. I

In carrying out my invention I provide a box or casing 1 of any suitableshape, but preferably a thin rectangular box such as that shown in thedrawings Within the casing'are a pair of slidable plates such as thoseshown at 2 and 3 respectively. These plates are-preferably provided withgrooves to engage tongues 4- in the slotted end 4:. of the box orcasing, so as to guide the plates in their movement. The bottom 1 of thebox is provided with an opening 5 in which are pivoted two bell-cranklevers 6 and 7 respectively. The upper end of each of these bell-cranklevers is connected by means of Specification of Letters Patent.

an arm or link 8 to one of the sliding plates.

Patented J an. 7, 1913. I

Application filed June 12,1912. Serial No. 703,162.

the rear end of the box. Theishoritarm of eachbell-crank lever isprovided with a laterally extending lug such as thoseishown at 6 and. 7,these lugs being arranged to eX- tendthrough openings in the bottom-ofthe box and to engage their respective spring contacts 10 and 11. Thecontact 10 is arranged to engagea cont-act 1O when the lug 6 5 ored; andbeing in circuit with the battery 13 70 and with the contacts, as shownin Fig. 6.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

Normally the springs 9 hold both of the sliding plates 2 and-3 Withinthe box or'case. Suppose now that the automobile is going aroundacornerandtlie driver "wishes to indichte whether he is going to turn tothe right or left,- so that any one comingfiupso behind hiinnay beWarned thereby. He

pulls downw rdly" on one of the levers 6 or- 7 by means .of'afchain 15or other suitable" connection, thereby throwing the upper end y of thebell-crank lever forwardly and forcing the respective plate out againstthe tension of the spring 9. In Fig. 2 I have indi-.

cated the slidable plate 2 as being thrown v out. This may bear anyappropriate legend as Left Right, or other indicating marks. On thereleas'trk-of the chain the spring 9 will carry the plate back withinthe box. If it is dark the operator may close the switch therebyswitching on the electric circuit so that when either of thejevers arenow manipulated, the withdrawal of the lug, as for instance 6', willpermit the contact 11 to engage the contact 11 Current will thereforeflow from the battery, through switch S, through the contacts 11, 11andloo through the lamp 13, as shown in Fig.6, thereby causing thelatter to glowand indicating the direction in which the carriage isgoing. As soon as the plate is returned to its position by means of thespring the lug,

Wlll again engage the contact 11 and lift it from the contact 11. Thecompanion bellcrank lever 7 operates in the same manner to In Fig. 2 thelink 8 isshown as being con- 55 necte'drto ithe sliding plate 3. Eachplate is connectedlby means of a spiral spring 9 with throw out theother plate and to close the circuit of the lamp 12. In the daytime whenthe lamps are not necessary the switch S may be opened, cutting out thebattery and therefore saving the current for a time when it isnecessary.

It is obvious, of course, that any suitable means might be used forcausing a downwardmovement of the bell-crank levers, and I do notconfine myself to the chains shown.

1. In a sign or indicating device, a casing having a slotted end, a pairof plates disposed in said'casing and arranged to slide in the slots, abell-crank lever for each plate pivotally mounted on the casing andhaving one end projecting outside thereof, the outside end beingprovided with a lug arranged to extend within the casing, a pair oflower contacts-within the casing, a pair of upper spring contacts, eachof said upper spring contacts being kept normally out of engagement withthe lower contacts by the lug on its individual lever and being arrangedto be brought into contact when the lever is moved, a lamp in circuitwith each upper contact, and a battery having a common connection witheach of said lower contacts on one side and each of said lamps on theother. a

2. In a sign or indicating device, a casing having a slotted end, a pairof plates disposed within said casing andarranged to of lower contactswithin the casing, a pair of upper spring contacts, 'each of said upperspring contacts being kept normally out of engagement with itsrespective lower contact by the lu on its individual lever and arrangedto be brought into contact when the lever is moved, a lamp in circuitwith each upper contact, a battery having common connections with eachofsaid lower contacts on one side and each of said lamps on the other,and spring means for retaining the lugs of the bell-crank levers inengagement with their respective contact springs.

PASQUALE FICCIO. Witnesses H. P. BAYA, V. Fiooio.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G."

